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Genus Micrococcus
Name: Micrococcus Cohn 1872 (Approved Lists 1980)
Etymology: Mi.cro.coc’cus. Gr. masc. adj. mikros, small, little (may keep -o); N.L. masc. n. coccus, coccus; from Gr. masc. n. kokkos, grain, seed; N.L. masc. n. Micrococcus, small coccus
Gender, pronunciation (Latin): masculine (stem: Micrococc-), mi-kro-KOK-kus
Type species: Micrococcus luteus (Schroeter 1872) Cohn 1872 (Approved Lists 1980)
Conduct genome-based taxonomy of genus at TYGS
Effective publication: Cohn F. Untersuchungen über Bakterien. In: Cohn F (eds), Beiträge zur Biologie der Pflanzen 1 (Heft 2), 1872, Max Müller, Breslau, 1875, p. 127-224.
IJSEM list:
Skerman VBD, McGowan V, Sneath PHA. Approved lists of bacterial names. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1980; 30:225-420. 
Nomenclatural status: validly published under the ICNP
Taxonomic status: correct name
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Emendations:
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Stackebrandt et al. 1995
Stackebrandt E, Koch C, Gvozdiak O, Schumann P. Taxonomic dissection of the genus Micrococcus: Kocuria gen. nov., Nesterenkonia gen. nov., Kytococcus gen. nov., Dermacoccus gen. nov., and Micrococcus Cohn 1872 gen. emend. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1995; 45:682-692.
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Anonymous. Notification list. Notification that new names and new combinations have appeared in volume 45, part 4 of the IJSB. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1996; 46:364-365.
Notes:- ⊖ Emendation accompanied by the removal of 6 species from the genus.
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Wieser et al. 2002
Wieser M, Denner EB, Kampfer P, Schumann P, Tindall B, Steiner U, Vybiral D, Lubitz W, Maszenan AM, Patel BK, et al. Emended descriptions of the genus Micrococcus, Micrococcus luteus (Cohn 1872) and Micrococcus lylae (Kloos et al. 1974). Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2002; 52:629-637. 🇦🇹
Anonymous. Notification list. Notification that new names and new combinations have appeared in volume 52, part 2 of the IJSEM. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2002; 52:691-692.
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Stackebrandt et al. 1995
Stackebrandt E, Koch C, Gvozdiak O, Schumann P. Taxonomic dissection of the genus Micrococcus: Kocuria gen. nov., Nesterenkonia gen. nov., Kytococcus gen. nov., Dermacoccus gen. nov., and Micrococcus Cohn 1872 gen. emend. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1995; 45:682-692.
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Notes:
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🥇 Nomenclatural type of the family Micrococcaceae Pribram 1929 (Approved Lists 1980).
Publication:
Pribram E. A CONTRIBUTION TO THE CLASSIFICATION OF MICROORGANISMS. J Bacteriol 1929; 18:361-394.
- 🥇 Nomenclatural type of the order Micrococcales Prévot 1940 (Approved Lists 1980). Publication: Prévot AR. Manuel de classification et de determination des bacteries anaerobies. 1st ed. Masson, Paris, 1940.
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🥇 Nomenclatural type of the suborder Micrococcineae Stackebrandt et al. 1997.
Publication:
Stackebrandt E, Rainey FA, Ward-Rainey NL. Proposal for a new hierarchic classification system, Actinobacteria classis nov. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1997; 47:479-491. 🇩🇪
- 🥇 Nomenclatural type of the tribe Micrococceae Prévot 1961 (Approved Lists 1980). Publication: Prévot AR. Traite de systematique bacterienne. Volume 2. Dunod, Paris, 1961.
- 🧕 Bergey et al. (1923) assigned this genus to the tribe "Micrococceae". Publication: Waksman SA. Genus III. Actinomyces Harz,. In: Bergey DH, Harrison FC, Breed RS, Hammer BW, Huntoon FM (eds), Bergey's Manual of Determinative Bacteriology, 1st ed., The Williams & Wilkins Co, Baltimore, 1923, p. 339-371.
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🧕 Cavalier-Smith (1981) assigned this genus to the subkingdom "Eubacteria" Cavalier-Smith 1981.
Publication:
Cavalier-Smith T. Eukaryote kingdoms: seven or nine? Biosystems 1981; 14:461-481.
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🧕 Goodfellow and Williams (1983) assigned this genus to the uncategorized "Actinobacteria" Goodfellow and Williams 1983.
Publication:
Goodfellow M, Williams ST. Ecology of actinomycetes. Annu Rev Microbiol 1983; 37:189-216.
- 🧕 Prevot (1940) assigned this genus to the order Micrococcales Prévot 1940 (Approved Lists 1980). Publication: Prévot AR. Manuel de Classification et de Détermination des Bactéries Anaérobies, 1st ed. Masson, Paris, 1940.
- 🧕 Prevot (1961) assigned this genus to the tribe Micrococceae Prévot 1961 (Approved Lists 1980). Publication: Prévot AR. Traité de Systématique Bactérienne, vol. 2. Dunod, Paris, 1961.
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🧕 Stackebrandt et al. (1997) assigned this genus to the suborder Micrococcineae Stackebrandt et al. 1997.
Publication:
Stackebrandt E, Rainey FA, Ward-Rainey NL. Proposal for a new hierarchic classification system, Actinobacteria classis nov. Int. J. Syst. Bacteriol. 1997; 47:479-491. 🇩🇪
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🧕 Winslow et al. (1920) assigned this genus to the tribe "Micrococceae".
Publication:
Winslow CE, Broadhurst J, Buchanan RE, Krumwiede C, Rogers LA, Smith GH. The Families and Genera of the Bacteria: Final Report of the Committee of the Society of American Bacteriologists on Characterization and Classification of Bacterial Types. J Bacteriol 1920; 5:191-229.
- 🚋 The type species of this genus has alternatively been placed in the genus [Bacteridium]. Publication: Schroeter J. Über einige durch Bacterien gebildete Pigmente. (1872). In: Cohn F (eds), Beiträge zur Biologie der Pflanzen, Max Müller, Breslau, 1875, p. 109-126.
- 🙄 This taxon name is occasionally misprinted (or affected by an OCR error) in some sources as: "Aficrococcus"; "Alicrococcus"; "Bicrococcus"; "Iicrococcus"; "Jficrococcus"; "Jhcrococcus"; "Jiicrococcus"; "Jlficrococcus"; "Jlicrococcus"; "Jllicrococcus"; "Mfrracoccus"; "Mfrrococcus"; "Miarococcus"; "Micmcoccus"; "Micorococcus"; "Micraaoccus"; "Micracaccus"; "Micracmccus"; "Micracocaus"; "Micracoccus"; "Micracuccus"; "Micracuczcus"; "Micrccoccus"; "Micrcmoccus"; "Micrcococcus"; "Micrgcoccus"; "Micrmcaccus"; "Micrmfoccus"; "Micrmroccus"; "Micrncoccus"; "Microaoccus"; "Microaoceus"; "Microboccus"; "Microcaccrm"; "Microcaccus"; "Microcaccux"; "Microcaceus"; "Microcacwus"; "Microcavous"; "Microccccus"; "Microcccus"; "Microccmcus"; "Microccocus"; "Microccus"; "Microccweus"; "Microceccus"; "Microceoceus"; "Microcgccus"; "Microcmccus"; "Microcmcus"; "Microcmrcus"; "Microcmrrus"; "Microcmtcus"; "Microcnccus"; "Microcoacus"; "Micrococaus"; "Micrococccus"; "Micrococceus"; "Micrococciis"; "Micrococciw"; "Micrococcrus"; "Micrococcua"; "Micrococcue"; "Micrococcuis"; "Micrococcw"; "Micrococcwe"; "Micrococcwr"; "Micrococcxis"; "Micrococczus"; "Micrococeus"; "Micrococmus"; "Microcococcus"; "Microcococus"; "Micrococous"; "Micrococrcus"; "Micrococrus"; "Micrococtus"; "Micrococus"; "Micrococvus"; "Micrococws"; "Micrococzcus"; "Microcoiius"; "Microcomcus"; "Microcomtus"; "Microcoocus"; "Microcooous"; "Microcorcus"; "Microcorscus"; "Microcovcus"; "Microcpccus"; "Microcsccus"; "Microcuccus"; "Microcucous"; "Microcvccus"; "Microecocus"; "Microeoceus"; "Microeoecus"; "Micromccua"; "Micromccus"; "Micronoccus"; "Microococcus"; "Microooccus"; "Microoocous"; "Microooocus"; "Microoooous"; "Microroccus"; "Microrocrus"; "Microtoccus"; "Microvoccus"; "Microwccus"; "Micrpcoccus"; "Micrqcoccus"; "Micrrmoccus"; "Micrrococcus"; "Micrucoccus"; "Micrvcoccus"; "Mictococcus"; "Mictrococcus"; "Miczococcus"; "Mierococcus"; "Mierococeus"; "Mierocoecus"; "Mikrocaccus"; "Minrocaccus"; "Miorococcus"; "Miorococous"; "Mircococcus"; "Mirrocnccus"; "Mirrococcus"; "Mirrocuccus"; "Mlcrococcus"; "Mlcrocvccus"; "Mllicrococcus"; "Mucrococcus"; "Murrococcus"; "Mzcroccccus"; "Mzcrococcus"; "Nficrococcus"; "Nhcrococcus"; "Nicrococcus"; "Nlierococcus"; "Uicrococcus"; "Wcrococcus".
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🧔 This taxon was discussed in a meeting of a Taxonomic Subcommittee of the ICSP.
Publication:
de Lajudie P, Young JPW. International Committee on Systematics of Prokaryotes Subcommittee on the Taxonomy of Rhizobia and Agrobacteria Minutes of the meeting by video conference, 11 July 2018. Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2019; 69:1835-1840. 🇫🇷
- 💁 Taxonomists who have recently focused on this group are the corresponding authors of Prakash et al. (2015), Zhang et al. (2010), Zhao et al. (2009). Editors in search of reviewers are advised to consider additional criteria such as whether a taxon is covered by one of the ICSP subcommittees.
- 🎰 The BRCs most frequently used for deposits in this group are: DSM: 35; ATCC: 27; CCUG: 24; CIP: 22; JCM: 20; NBRC: 19; NCTC: 18; LMG: 18; IFO: 12; VKM: 9.
- 😷 The risk group for Canada has been imported on 2024-02-27. The full classification is: risk group = 1, note = "Animal classification RG: 2 - Security sensitive biological agent: No - Terrestrial animal pathogen under Canadian Food Inspection Agency authority: No - Containment level: Containment Level 2". — If in doubt, use the risk group given in the regulations for your country and, if these are not available, use the risk group given in the catalogue of the culture collection from which you have obtained or intend to obtain the strain.
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🧍 According to Shipunov (2011), this name is a hemihomonym. See Micrococcus Leonardi, 1907 (insects).
Publication:
Shipunov A. The problem of hemihomonyms and the on-line hemihomonyms database (HHDB). Bionomina 2011; 4:65-72.
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🧍 Pittman et al. (1991) suggested the abbreviation "MICO" for this genus name but this does not appear to be of practical relevance any longer.
Publication:
Pittman KF, Walczak CA, Lock CM. Codes and abbreviations for approved of effectively published names of genera of bacteria published from January 1980 to December 1990. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1991; 41:571-579.
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🧍 This name was treated in Judicial Opinion 25.
Publication:
Judicial Commission. Judicial Opinion No. 25. Int J Syst Bacteriol 1963; 13:33-35.
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🥇 Nomenclatural type of the family Micrococcaceae Pribram 1929 (Approved Lists 1980).
Publication:
Pribram E. A CONTRIBUTION TO THE CLASSIFICATION OF MICROORGANISMS. J Bacteriol 1929; 18:361-394.
Number of child taxa with a validly published and correct name: 9
Number of child taxa with a validly published name, including synonyms: 19
Total number of child taxa: 51
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Child taxa:
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Name Nomenclatural status Taxonomic status Micrococcus agilis Ali-Cohen 1889 (Approved Lists 1980) validly published under the ICNP synonym Micrococcus aloeverae Prakash et al. 2014 validly published under the ICNP synonym "Micrococcus amylovorus" Burrill 1882 not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists synonym "Micrococcus anaerobius" (Hamm 1912) Waksman and Henrici 1948 not validly published preferred name Micrococcus antarcticus Liu et al. 2000 validly published under the ICNP correct name "Micrococcus calcoaceticus" Beijerinck 1911 not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists synonym "Micrococcus candicans" Fluegge 1886 not validly published preferred name "Micrococcus cerolyticus" Friedmann and Kern 1956 not validly published preferred name "Micrococcus cinereus" von Lingelsheim 1906 not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists synonym Micrococcus cohnii Rieser et al. 2013 validly published under the ICNP correct name "Micrococcus colpogenes" Campbell and Williams 1951 not validly published preferred name "Micrococcus cryophilus" McLean et al. 1951 not validly published preferred name "Micrococcus denitrificans" Beijerinck and Minkman 1910 not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists synonym "Micrococcus diversus" Girard and Cosenza 1970 not validly published preferred name Micrococcus endophyticus Chen et al. 2009 validly published under the ICNP correct name Micrococcus flavus Liu et al. 2007 validly published under the ICNP correct name "Micrococcus fulvus" Cohn 1875 not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists synonym "Micrococcus gallicidus" Burrill 1883 not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists synonym "Micrococcus glutamicus" Kinoshita et al. 1958 not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists synonym Micrococcus halobius Onishi and Kamekura 1972 (Approved Lists 1980) validly published under the ICNP synonym "Micrococcus halodenitrificans" Robinson and Gibbons 1952 not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists synonym "Micrococcus hyicus" Sompolinsky 1953 not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists synonym "Micrococcus indolicus" Christiansen 1934 not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists synonym "Micrococcus jongii" Chester 1901 not validly published preferred name Micrococcus kristinae Kloos et al. 1974 (Approved Lists 1980) validly published under the ICNP synonym Micrococcus lactis Chittpurna et al. 2011 validly published under the ICNP synonym Micrococcus lacusdianchii Wang et al. 2024 validly published under the ICNP correct name Micrococcus luteus (Schroeter 1872) Cohn 1872 (Approved Lists 1980) validly published under the ICNP correct name Micrococcus lylae Kloos et al. 1974 (Approved Lists 1980) validly published under the ICNP correct name "Micrococcus meningitidis" Albrecht and Ghon 1901 not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists synonym "Micrococcus niger" Hall 1930 not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists synonym Micrococcus nishinomiyaensis Oda 1935 (Approved Lists 1980) validly published under the ICNP synonym "Micrococcus nitrosus" Migula 1900 not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists synonym "Micrococcus pelletieri" Laveran 1906 not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists synonym "Micrococcus phosphoreus" Cohn 1878 not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists synonym "Micrococcus pneumoniae" Klein 1884 not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists synonym Micrococcus porci Lee et al. 2023 validly published under the ICNP correct name "Micrococcus prevotii" Foubert and Douglas 1948 not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists synonym "Micrococcus prodigiosus" Cohn 1872 not validly published preferred name "Micrococcus radiodurans" Raj et al. 1960 not validly published preferred name "Micrococcus radioproteolyticus" Kobatake et al. 1973 not validly published preferred name Micrococcus roseus Flügge 1886 (Approved Lists 1980) validly published under the ICNP synonym "Micrococcus saccharolyticus" Foubert and Douglas 1948 not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists synonym "Micrococcus saprophyticus" (Fairbrother 1940) Baird-Parker 1971 not validly published preferred name Micrococcus sedentarius ZoBell and Upham 1944 (Approved Lists 1980) validly published under the ICNP synonym "Micrococcus sodonensis" Aaronson 1955 not validly published preferred name "Micrococcus subflavus" Flügge 1886 not validly published, basonym of name in Approved Lists synonym Micrococcus terreus Zhang et al. 2010 validly published under the ICNP correct name "Micrococcus variabilis" Foubert and Douglas 1948 not validly published preferred name Micrococcus varians Migula 1900 (Approved Lists 1980) validly published under the ICNP synonym Micrococcus yunnanensis Zhao et al. 2009 validly published under the ICNP synonym
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Parent taxon: Micrococcaceae Pribram 1929 (Approved Lists 1980)
Assigned by:
Parker CD. Genus V. Thiobacillus Beijerinck 1904. In: Breed RS, Murray EGD, Smith NR (eds), Bergey's Manual of Determinative Bacteriology, 7th edition, The Williams & Wilkins Co, Baltimore, 1957, p. 83-88.
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Record number: 516085
This LPSN page was printed on 2026-03-06 23:13:00